Back Home
by Xxdustfinger's-heartxX
Summary: Mo, Meggie and the others escape the Inkworld just in time...but there was no happy ending. When Orpheus drags Dustfinger and Meggie back, will they find love in the hate that surrounds them. D/M. Please R x R!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi,**

**I'm new to the world of Inkheart fanfictions...so...**

**Please review, as I don't know whether i'll continue this story **

**If i get nice reviews i'll definitely carry on**

**No flames pleaseee**

**x RoRo x**

Chapter 1

Orpheus smiled as he surveyed his prisoners. His return to his own world had paid off - with a few well chosen words he'd brought an army from the Inkworld, and it had taken less than a week to hunt down those he wanted.

Bound and gagged. It made him smile.

Darius and Fenoglio, each looking equally nervous. That awful book woman, Signora Loredan, struggling against her bonds - the same was true of that disgusting boy, still in the wrong story - _Farid_. Resa, the bird, limp and helpless - since the stillbirth, she had looked lost. The Bluejay, looking scared for his family, hatred etched on his face. And finally the two birds that he had come for. The treacherous, betraying Fire-Dancer - and the little witch.

'Well, this is pleasant,' he grinned, his eyes fixed on Meggie. 'You've grown up into a right little slut - obviously take after your mother.'

Both Dustfinger and Mo struggled hard at this. Orpheus laughed. The 18 year old Meggie was beautiful, anyone would be idiotic not to admit it. She was glaring at him - it made him snort more.

'And you, Fire Dancer. You meant so much to me. I gave you my heart, and you tore it into a thousand pieces. You betrayed me. But you'll get your comeuppance. Don't get excited though, I won't be sending you to your wife just yet.'

Usually so brilliant at hiding his emotions, Dustfinger felt the tears prick his eyes. He hadn't mentioned Roxane for a year - when the Piper had driven his sword into her, he had vowed never to speak of her again.

'Ah, I see I've hit home. What you did was cruel. You left your daughter - your beautiful, wonderful daughter, alone. First she lost her sister…then her true love…then her mistress and best friend…soon after, her mother…and finally her father. You left her all alone.'

Brianna…the thought of her hurt the Fire-Dancer just as much.

'Death may have made you young again, how old do you look now? 20? And it may have wiped away the scars from your face - but it also scars you forever. You'll be glad to know you're going home of course.'

Dustfinger's eyes widened.

'You and the girl,' he glanced at Meggie.

The thought of returning to the Inkworld made Dustfinger shudder. There were people there he cared for, still, those who had good in them. Brianna…the black prince…the strolling players… but try as he might, he could think only of the darkness. Roxane, Violante, Cloud Dancer, all dead…The Adderhead, Piper, Milksop, ruling Lombrica with their dark ways.

He wondered whether Meggie was thinking of the same things. He gasped in pain as Orpheus dragged him up and hit him hard in the stomach. He pulled out the gag, smiling.

'So, my friend, what do you think?'

Dustfinger said nothing. He looked at the people he had begun to call family. Farid looked as if he were about to cry, Resa too. His eyes fell on Mortimer…his eyes begged. _Protect her…_they said…_look after my daughter._ He nodded, and Mo gave the slightest, weak, resigned smile of gratitude.

'Well, we'd better get on with it,' Orpheus pulled Meggie up too. 'Elinor, Farid, Mortimer, Resa, Fenoglio, Darius…see, I even took the effort to learn your names… I apologise. Goodbye for now. See you soon, or not.' He pushed Dustfinger forwards, and a leering soldier grabbed Meggie. The remaining prisoners struggled and tried desperately to break free.

'You,' he pointed at one guard, 'after I'm gone, put these two - ' he nodded to Darius and Fenoglio, ' - on a one way trip to somewhere they won't come back from. Desert island or something.'

'And the rest, master Orpheus?'

Dustfinger snorted at the title, earning himself a punch in the ribs.

'Do what you want with them,' he sneered, 'but make sure the bookbinder feels it.'

With that, he walked from the room, followed by several soldiers.

Meggie was thrown to the floor by the man holding her, and she winced as Dustfinger was kicked to the ground.

Orpheus stepped into the shack. It was small, the soldiers waited outside. He grinned down at his prisoners.

It embarrassed Dustfinger slightly, that Meggie looked as defiant as a lion, and yet he himself was terrified. He was in pain, as well, the soldiers had not treated him well on the journey.

Orpheus bent down and took off their bonds.

'You remember this place, Dustfinger?'

'No,' he lied.

'Basta told me about it, before you killed him. It was where they found you, weak, drunken, sobbing in fear. When Capricorn wanted you. He said that you cried when he dragged you from it, his knife tracing your skin.'

'Lies,' Dustfinger snarled - though he wasn't entirely sure if they were.

Meggie stiffened, she had always hated Dustfinger for his betrayal, for selling them to Capricorn. She had never thought what it must have been like for him. Owing his disfigured face to the man chasing him - dragged from his own world - being forced to leave everything he loved behind. And she knew what a coward he was, it would have worse than death for him.

'Now, I'm just going to go and check these words are perfect,' Orpheus mused, more to himself than anyone else, 'and don't bother trying to escape, this shack is surrounded by my men.' He strode out, slamming the door behind him.

Meggie slowly began to cry, and, usually terrible at sympathy, Dustfinger awkwardly put his arm around her. Before long she had buried her head in his chest, sobbing. He held her against him, feeling odd electrical sparks lighting between them…what could it mean?

She was still leaning against him when Orpheus kicked the door open.

'How touching,' he sneered, but Meggie didn't look up. Dustfinger stroked her hair, whispering soft words to her…some of them were even fire words.

'It'll be alright,' he murmured, and Orpheus laughed.

'Not for you it won't. Now, we're leaving.' He unfolded the paper in his hands. 'The Inkworld will be much better now. Only two extras from another world, rather than entirely populating it with book obsessed old women and stammering readers. Not to mention a mad man who thought he created the whole thing!'

And he began to read.

'_The manor house was the largest building in Ombra, but for the castle. The latter was now held by the Piper, after the Adderhead banished the Milksop. _

_The manor held the Adderhead's friend and loyal servant, Orpheus. When he came back from the other world, he brought with him two slaves…both wanted in Lombrica. However, the Adderhead spared them, and Orpheus was permitted to use them for whatever he wished.'_

The air seemed to swirl, and Dustfinger clutched Meggie. They had to stick together now, they were all each other had.

The first thing that Meggie saw was Orpheus's new bodyguard. He really was huge, built entirely of muscle, and he leered down at Dustfinger and herself. She rolled over, and saw that Dustfinger seemed to be unconscious. Panicking, she shook him.

'There's no point, it'll be around an hour. I read a little something earlier, thought I'd send him off for a little more pain first,' she spun around and saw Orpheus, he was looking overly happy with himself.

'What do you mean?' She demanded.

'I just thought I'd plant a few memories in his head…make him pay for what he did to me.'

'What kind of memories?' She clutched Dustfinger's hand.

'Well, I thought Roxane's death would be a good one. And then perhaps the moment that he found out about Rosanna's death. When he was killed by the nightmare as well. The moment that he discovered Resa had a husband…oh yes, he will regret ever hurting me.'

'Please!' Meggie begged, 'let him go!' She wasn't sure why she said it…only that she knew Dustfinger had been through enough pain in his life. 'Do it to me instead!' she pleaded, thought she knew it was too late to change.

She felt Dustfinger tense, his hand clenching around hers. Orpheus grinned like a child at Christmas.

'No…not her as well…please…' Dustfinger's voice was ragged and harsh. Meggie felt tears spring to her eyes - she knew what memory he was seeing. She knew, because she had been there when he said the words the first time round. The image of The Piper holding Roxane swam into her own mind.

'Take me…kill me…just please…not her…' She remembered him begging, the first time she had ever seen him do so.

'No, NO!' Meggie felt the tears stream down her face, as she remembered Dustfinger's face as his heart broke.

The bodyguard had to hold Meggie back as she lunged at Orpheus. No one should cause such suffering…and the sight of him laughing…she struggled, fighting…but how could she ever break free?

**Go on....press the little green button..**


	2. Chapter 2

**I tried my best! I've had writers block, so the chapter after this should be better**

**Dusty love forever x**

**And forgive me if you hate this chapter!**

**Xx RoRo xX**

Chapter 2

'It's alright,' Meggie whispered. It was her turn to comfort Dustfinger now. The man was sobbing as she had never seen him sob before. They were in a cell, underneath the Manor. Dustfinger had held out upstairs, not ready to show his pain to Orpheus, but the second the door at the top of the huge staircase had closed, he dissolved into broken sobs.

There was an inch of water lining the floor of the cell, and they were bound to the walls using chains and iron hooks. The clasps were loose around Meggie's thin wrists, but blood ran from Dustfinger's as they sliced into his skin.

Meggie wrapped her arms, as best she could, around Dustfinger. At first he was stiff, but eventually he rested his head on her shoulder. She stroked his hair.

It was the softest hair she had ever felt - it was no wonder that the fairies always wanted some. It was sandy, with a red shimmer, she remembered, though of course she couldn't see it down there in the darkness.

'Sorry, there was nothing I could do,' she whispered.

'I know, it was hardly your fault,' Dustfinger sat up, but Meggie pulled him closer to her - if it was one thing she was good at, it was knowing when somebody needed love, a hug, or just a few kind words.

'I'll kill him,' she murmured - she'd never killed anybody before, but for this, she would do it.

'What now?' Dustfinger was still crying, and Meggie knew that Roxane's face was in his mind.

What now? The question stumped Meggie. Before, there had always been "they'll save us!" whether it was Mo, Elinor, Resa or Fenoglio. Who now? The Black Prince? But he didn't even know they were there. This was the worst situation to be in, and it was only for Dustfinger's sake that Meggie didn't dissolve into tears herself - she had to stay strong for him - he'd just had his heart broken, shattered, burnt once more.

'I'm supposed to be looking after _you_,' Dustfinger laughed.

'And now you're not,' Meggie held him in her arms, never wanting to let him go. The feeling scared her…could she…love him?

He rested his head into the hollow of her neck, and her heart beat faster. She could feel his breathing on her chest - warm as the fire he had once breathed. Eventually the tears stopped, and his breathing steadied. He was asleep.

Meggie tried to remember the last time he had slept. Every night she looked out of her window and saw him in the garden, desperately trying to speak to the flames - _every night_. At least a week since she had last seen him sleep.

Her hand continued to stroke Dustfinger's hair. She had never seemed to have a bond with Dustfinger, but he was all she had now. She was all he had. They had to be strong, fight through this together - and perhaps make the world a slightly less corrupted place while they were at it.

Xx

'Get up!' Orpheus's shout rang into the cell. Dustfinger flinched as he woke; Meggie wondered who he had been dreaming about. Fire? Roxane? Farid or Brianna? Gwin or Jink?

Meggie swallowed, wondering what to expect of the day.

'Rise and shine,' he clanged the bars louder than necessary as he opened the cell. Using a fiery torch to give light, he unlocked the cuffs chaining them to the wall, and dragged them to their feet. He blew out the torch instantly, perhaps worried that Dustfinger would use it.

'Where are we going?' Meggie demanded.

'SHUT IT!' Orpheus shouted, and Meggie raised her eyebrows.

Dustfinger stumbled on the stairs - he received a blow for that, despite the fact that it was Orpheus's own fault for his mistreatment.

Three soldiers were standing at the top of the stairs. One grabbed Meggie, the other two took Dustfinger between them. He gasped in pain as they wrenched his arms around his back, tying them with rope, so tight that the blood ran again from his already cut wrists.

They were acting as if he could run at all - in reality, just walking was difficult for him.

'Loosen the bonds, you foul night mares!' Meggie shouted in one of the guards' faces, before the one holding her dragged her back.

'Don't, Meggie,' Dustfinger muttered. He was much more back to his old self - she wondered whether she had merely dreamt of his tears.

She bit her lip - wondering whether to pursue the matter. Dustfinger winced in pain as the guards pushed him forwards.

'Is the Adderhead meeting us in Ombra castle?' the guard nodded in reply to Orpheus's question.

Meggie's blood ran cold - could words, nothing but words, really protect them from the wrath of the Adderhead?

Xx

'Enter,' the voice spat.

Orpheus pushed open the door, bowing low the second he entered. The first guard pushed Meggie in in front of him, and the second two threw Dustfinger forwards. At a glare from Orpheus, Meggie bowed.

'Fire-Dancer,' Meggie's heart thudded against her ribs as the Adderhead addressed Dustfinger. 'You dare not to bow to me?'

'I bow out of respect, _my lord_, and I do not respect you.'

'Bring him forwards,' the Adderhead smiled. Since that damn bookbinder had found a way to cure the book, he had been healthy as ever - and still resolutely immortal.

The two guards dragged Dustfinger forwards, and kicked him into a kneeling position in front of the Adderhead.

'You are very brave, I like you,' he narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the man before him. 'Not afraid to say what you feel - I admire that in a man.'

'Thanks,' Dustfinger swallowed.

'Ahem,' Orpheus cleared his throat, 'if his lordship might like to return to the matter at hand…'

'I assume you want gold for these…' The Adderhead glared at Orpheus.

'On the contrary, my lord, I wanted to…keep, these two…I thought…a lifetime of slavery…could…perhaps, be more torturous, and more useful, than death?'

'I agree, but these two…hmm.'

'I will read - I mean, _find _you anything you wish, if you'll grant me these two.'

'Very well, but if they escape…if anything happens, I will have you flayed alive!'

'Of course, my lord, of course,' Orpheus bowed again as he walked from the room. Meggie followed as the guards pushed her, but Dustfinger remained kneeling. Her eyes fixed on him, and she stopped dead.

'Walk,' the guard grunted, pushing her.

'But Du-'

The guard slammed into her back. She stumbled forwards onto the floor, hitting it with an impact that echoed around the hall. Dustfinger looked up, glancing at her with worried eyes.

'Look at the floor,' she heard the Adder hiss.

Dustfinger obeyed. Meggie saw Orpheus stop.

'You wish to stay with Milk Face?'

'No, my lord,' Dustfinger whispered. His voice shook.

'You would be welcome here, your performances would excite my soldiers.'

'I…I cannot leave Meggie,' he so wanted to say yes - it would be worth being beaten by the Adderhead, to be permitted to speak with fire again. Dustfinger had to force his answer.

The Adder snorted. 'Then she will come too.'

'See here, my dear lord!' Orpheus pushed past Meggie and hurried across the hall.

'OFF WITH YOU!' The Adder shouted, and Orpheus quailed. He turned on his heel, shot Dustfinger a look of death, and scurried away.

'Guards?' The Adder called, and they started forwards. 'Take the girl and the fire dancer to the dungeons.'

'P-please…' Dustfinger whispered.

'On second thoughts, take them to the tower.'

'Of course, my lord,' two soldiers escorted the prisoners upstairs, while another dragged Orpheus away.

'The. Words. Didn't. Work.' He snarled, astounded.

'They can't, you've screwed this story up too much now. It's taken a life of its own, Orpheus, and it won't stay in its master's arms forever! You've created a monster, fiend, and believe me you'll wish you hadn't!' Dustfinger hissed, before they were pushed out of sight.

'On the count of three,' Meggie whispered, so quietly that only Dustfinger heard. 'Run.'

'Meggie, I can't - '

'One…'

'Are you insane!'

'Two…'

'Meggie, you stupid - '

'THREE!' She shouted, spinning around and knocking one of the soldiers down the stairs. Dustfinger hit the other, slightly stunned, and they both clattered down the stairs after the guards.

**Kisses from Dusty for all reviewers!**

'RUN!' Meggie screamed as they reached the main hall. And they did, right out into the courtyard, where they met their saviour…


	3. Chapter 3

**There you have it - at last!**

**I am so evil but recently i have had the flu, got married and been looking after a kid, as well as having my laptop die and lose all my documents, so i do have an excuse (tehe)**

**A recent review reminded me of this story, so i started the next chapter. Thanks to anyone who sticks with it :D**

**X RoRo X**

Chapter 3

Mo groaned, rolling over and raising his hand to the back of his head. He pulled it away, and saw his fingers covered in spots of dried blood. Trying to sit up, he blinked away the stars flashing in front of his eyes and squinted to see through the darkness.

'Mortimer!' He heard Elinor's voice, and reached out his hand in the direction it had come from. 'Thank _heavens_ you're awake!' She grabbed it and yanked him forwards without an inch of care. Wincing, he looked into her face. Though the darkness was thick, he could just see that her lip was bloodied and her hair an explosion.

'Where are we?' He breathed, closing one eye and squinting at her.

'No idea,' she answered, 'but I think the others are in here with us. It seems quite large, though, and I think I've sprained my ankle.'

'Hello?' Mo hissed, trying to be quiet, though he did not know why. 'Anyone else here?'

'_I'm_ here,' a voice said moodily, and Mo reached out again. It was Fenoglio, and he sounded more disgruntled than anything else. 'Locked in a bleeding cellar with no hope of getting out...perfect, just perfect. Those guards won't know what's _hit_ them when I get hold of a pen...'

'A cellar? Where?' Mo asked urgently.

'Well _I_ don't know, I only guessed. What else can it be?'

'A windowless room with walls that close in around you and crush you to nothing!'

'_Farid_, must you be so melodramatically negative?' sighed Elinor.

Mo froze, 'everyone be quiet!' He croaked, and soon Fenoglio's stroppy mutterings were the only sound to be heard. 'No sound...no talking above,' he grimaced, 'I think we're on our own.' He had been hoping for a guard, someone at least who could open a door to give them food and water! Being stuck here would be the worst death.

'What do we do, Mortimer?' Elinor sounded much more back to her usual brisk self.

But all Mo could think of was his daughter. _Let Dustfinger be keeping her safe_, he begged mentally, _she, at least, has to come out of this alive_.

* * *

'So, are you going to tell me how you came to be escaping from the Adderhead's castle?' The black prince smiled warmly at his old friend, and handed a bowl of hot soup to the girl. She was shivering in the cold wind that rippled through the leaves of the trees in the Wayless Wood.

'The Adderhead's castle,' Dustfinger muttered angrily, 'Ombra will _never_ be his.'

'It is, Dustfinger,' the princes sighed sadly, 'without the Bluejay to save us...well...all was lost. _He's_ been ravaging the villages, bleeding them dry. And he's taken the women as well,' he gestured around the camp, 'these are the only ones not his property now.' Grimacing, he watched as Dustfinger's hands began to shake around the wooden cup he was holding.

'And Brianna?' He didn't sound as if he wanted to know the answer.

'Locked in the turrets of Ombra castle,' he shrugged, 'they were going to execute her, but luckily, too many of the high rankers took a shine to her. The Piper - '

'Don't!' The Bluejay's daughter shot a furtive glance at Dustfinger, who was biting his lip. 'Don't say any more...it's too terrible!' It hurt the prince to see how devastated she looked. 'Is there no hope at all?'

'Well,' he grinned widely, 'that's a question I like to hear! We've been working on it – the rest of us here. Myself and a few of the other robbers have been digging a tunnel. Doria's been helping us with supports, and we _think_ we're almost directly under the Castle of Night. Luckily, with the Adder intent on taking complete control of Ombra, he's left the Piper in charge of Argenta, and _he's _too stupid to have any idea that we've almost got a tunnel that goes straight to their dungeons.'

'Clever!' Meggie sounded, for the first time, remotely hopeful. 'Where is Doria now?'

'Over with the other men,' the black prince nodded in the direction of the robbers, who were gathered in a huddle around another fire.

'I must go and see him!' She jumped up and ran over. The black prince smiled sadly – she was no longer the young girl he had met five years ago. She was a woman now, a beautiful woman with bravery and pride written on her face as if on parchment. The way she stuck out her chin and now wore a belt with a sword in it reminded him so much of her father. _And_, he thought, _it's just as well, since she'll be the one carrying his legacy now. She'll save us from this_.

'My old friend,' he reached across to put his hand on Dustfinger's shoulder, 'we will save Brianna, I swear it upon the old prince's name! Half a decade is too long – it ends _now_.'

'Yes,' Dustinger's eyes reflected the image of the fire, but his voice raged and flamed much higher. 'It _does_!'

* * *

Elinor Loredan was incomprehensibly angry. They had managed to find a mouldy light switch, and a single bare bulb was swinging from the ceiling, sending flickering light dancing around the cellar. Every once in a while it would sputter and die, but always eventually popped back to life again for another ten minutes. Farid and Mortimer were slamming their shoulders at the door opposite her, but it seemed to have been barricaded from the other side.

It wasn't her cellar that they were in, but it was equally equipped with things that should have been helpful. There were hundreds of cans of tinned food, but Darius had spent the last hour trying to prise one open using a wide array of tools to no avail. Resa was working silently to start a fire for when the light bulb eventually gave up. To help her, Fenoglio was running around at an incredible speed for a man of his age (Meggie had been right, that story had made him younger) attempting to find wood and splints.

'AHAH!' He shouted suddenly, and everyone turned to look at him, 'matches!' He beamed, holding up the box.

'Be careful!' Elinor said quickly as he tried to light one, 'this place catches fire, we have no way to get out! We'd all be burnt to a crisp like my poor books were!' She remembered all three times when her books had been burnt.

'You, boy,' Fenoglio threw the box at Farid with a contemptuous glance (Elinor never understood why the old man hated him so much) 'you do it, since you learnt from the best.'

Resa smiled encouragingly, stepping back from the small pile of wood. Farid struck the match and let it lick against the wood. At that exact second, the bulb died and they were plunged into almost complete darkness. As the fire spread, terrifying shadows were thrown against the walls and the room was lit up slightly once more. Shuddering, Elinor sat back and watched as the others resumed their work.

* * *

Dustfinger looked up at the skies sadly, watching a shooting star through the gaps in the tree canopies. There hadn't been stars like that in the other world. He could hear the quiet, muffled discussions of the robbers, but he was much more aware of the sleeping figure beside him. She was shivering again, her fingers clutching the ragged blanket around her, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes.

Sitting up slightly, he pulled the blanket of himself and threw it over Meggie. She stopped shaking and closed her fingers around it. Lying back again, it was Dustfinger's turn to be cold. He was wearing a black sweater from a shop on the seafront back in Meggie's world (how he remembered such insignificant details. Farid had been eating a chocolate and mint sundae, and a little girl, barely seven, had been bitten on the end of her finger by Gwin), as well as a pair of red and black trousers like the ones the Fire Dancers used to wear before the Silver Prince took over.

But the nights in the Inkworld were much colder than those in the other, and eventually he stood up, deciding to go and find some fire honey.

'Dustfinger,' Meggie blinked sleepily.

'Go back to sleep,' he whispered, 'I'll be back soon.'

'No!' She stood up quickly, considering she had only just awoken, 'somebody might catch you alone – I'm coming with you!'

'Stay with the others,' he implored, 'they can protect you – I can't!'

'You need someone to protect you!'

'Alright,' _damn you, Dustfinger_! He added mentally. What was he doing, taking her out into the wood where any manner of creatures could attack them? The Adder's men were unlikely to venture that deep for the same reason. But the idea of walking through the stunning woods, once his favourite place in the world (or _worlds_), with Meggie excited him much more than it ought to. She took his hand and pulled him forwards.

All thoughts of fire honey were blown from his mind, and he contented himself with walking down the winding tracks with Meggie. Their finger's linked like a couple's, not a friend's, and every time their shoulders bumped together, she would look up at him with a blush.

* * *

'Here,' Resa passed the bottle of water they had found to Elinor. The cellar was now unbearably hot, and Mo and Farid had given up on the door, leaning back against the wall and panting. Beads of sweat covered their foreheads.

'We need...to put out...the fire,' Fenoglio wheezed, 'the smoke...the heat...' he coughed.

'No,' Mo hissed, 'we _need_ to get out of here. And we can't do that if there's no light!'

'This is a _cellar_, there ought to be a torch!' Elinor muttered darkly.

Resa swallowed, 'then we should all look for one! Fenoglio is right, there's no way we can keep the fire!'

'LET US OUT!' Elinor screamed, standing up and kicking the door as hard as she could. Resa gaped, watching as her aunt lashed out again, 'OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR YOU MALICIOUS IMBECILES!' She pummelled it with the sides of her fists, 'LET US OUUUUTT!'

'Stop it, woman, you're doing my head in!' Farid groaned. 'There is no one there!'

'Well you are obviously up for giving up, but _I_ am _not_!' She shouted at him, 'Darius, Mortimer, make a battering ram!'

'Using the old woman's head,' Fenoglio nodded at her coldly.

Resa swallowed – her head was throbbing and her stomach churning.

'Oh shut up!' Elinor snorted.

'Elinor, I think you've read one too many adventure books!' Mortimer sighed, 'there's nothing in here we can use!'

'Well do something!'

'Stop shouting,' Resa groaned, leaning back and clutching her stomach, where the embryo of a child was forming. She hadn't told Mortimer about the test yet... and this didn't seem like a good situation to do so. 'Oh...' her stomach seemed the spin around, and she fell sideways, everything going black.

**PLEASE review xxxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Due to all your lovely reviews i uploaded another chapter! :D**

**My friend who usually checks my grammar and spelling (as i'm dyslexic) is on holiday now, so i've spent a long time trying to get this as accurate as i can, so i apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes. **

**I also just found out i'm expecting another child, so i poured quite a lot of emotion into the chapter**

**I hope you enjoy it, and the next ought to be up soon.**

**Love you all so much**

**Rosee**

Chapter 4

Dustfinger jerked awake when the first ray of light shot through the canopies above them. Squinting in the sudden light, he looked sideways at Meggie. She was still fast asleep, her head resting against his shoulder, and a pair of fairies curled up on her cheek. Smiling, he shooed them away and rested his head back against the tree that they were leaning against.

'I know they hide out around here...' a ragged voice hissed, 'they bury themselves here with the wolves and the nightmares – pigeons among...well, pigeons.'

Freezing in horror, Dustfinger looked down at Meggie again. He shook her as gently as he could, flinching as he heard the sound of hoof beats. 'Meggie,' he hissed, 'wake _up_!'

She jolted awake, and looked at him in equal horror at the sound. Dustfinger prayed that the terror running through his veins would not be betrayed on his face. He stood up slowly, pulling her up beside him, and, pressing a finger to his lips, drew the knife from his belt. She drew her sword, the muscles on her arm flexing – _goodness_, thought Dustfinger, _she can handle a sword better than I can!_

A million options flashed through his head, as the voices grew louder, and the distinct sound of horses snorting met his ears. 'The Adderhead'll have the Fire Dancer's head on a platter when we catch 'em,' one laughed, 'he don't like people escapin' from 'im!'

'Nah, it'll be 'is daugh'er's 'ead on the plate, served up ta him in the darkes', ro'iest dungeons any prisoner did rot in!'

The suddenly cutting, nasal addition of the Piper's voice sent Dustfinger faint with fear. 'Oh shut up, you disgusting little wretches. Find the Fire Dancer, the girl, and any of those foul vagabonds that you can – then the Adderhead decides their punishment!'

'We ain't decidin' boss, just playin' around,' another different voice – there were at least four of them; probably more.

'What do we do?' Meggie breathed.

It took barely a second for Dustfinger to make the decision – the same decision he had made a million times in his life – _run_. 'RUN!' He shouted aloud, yanking Meggie forwards as fast as he could. 'DROP THE SWORD!' He yelled - like she'd be able to get any speed carrying that great huge thing around.

The two of them sprinted through the wood. Dustfinger was oblivious to the thump of the horses' hooves, and the shouts of the men. It was his knowledge that saved them. The guards didn't know the Wayless Wood as Dustfinger did, and though they were on horseback, armed with swords and bows, it was the Fire Dancer who outsmarted them again. He turned around, raising the knife. He was no black prince, but when a man on horseback was charging towards you, aim wasn't difficult. He threw it as hard as he could, and it buried itself in the chest of the first guard, splitting the metal of his breastplate.

Luckily, Dustfinger wasn't stupid enough to stay a second longer for the others to arrive. He grabbed Meggie's arm and pulled her roughly into even denser woods, where the horses would not be able to follow them. The ominous clinking of metal caused him to urge her forwards, the image of the passage in his head. If he lost concentration for a split second, the location would fade from his mind.

They were both panting by the time they reached the water nymph's pool. Relief rushing through his veins, Dustfinger pulled off his boots and threw them as hard as he could into the trees. Meggie did the same, looking at him in confusion. There was an adrenaline-fuelled excitement in his eyes. He took her hands, pulled her forwards and jumped into the pool. The splash was deafening, and the ice cold water hit them like a thousand bullets.

The water stinging his eyes, Dustfinger blinked, looking around for the entrance. The gaping black hole made all fear disappear from his mind, and he pulled Meggie towards it. His lungs expanding, he dragged her into the thin passage, and after swimming for what seemed like forever they eventually broke the surface.

Meggie was gasping for air, coughing out water. Dustfinger slipped his arm round her stomach and pulled her to the side of the river. She staggered onto the banks, water pouring from her mouth and her breath short and choking. '_Never_ again!' She coughed, glaring at him, 'I'd rather get _caught_ than have that happen again! Oh screw that,' she rolled her eyes, throwing her arms around him, 'thank you,' she whispered into his shoulder.

'Come on, we need to get out of here,' he nodded around at the children playing by the river, who had looked up in confusion.

He gently detached himself from her, and shivered slightly in the cold. 'Sorry, it was stupid taking you out into the wood like that, let alone falling asleep.'

'It's fine, my fault anyway,' Meggie smiled, walking alongside him. 'Besides it was fun.'

He looked at her sceptically.

'The wood bit, not the Adderhead's guards and big underwater escape bit. And what _was_ that anyway?'

He grinned, just as they reached the outskirts of the Wayless Wood again, 'many years ago, Capricorn's men were chasing me, and the water nymphs dragged me under the water and pushed me down there. I thought they were drowning me.'

'Wow, Capricorn,' Dustfinger thought he could hear an odd note of reverence in Meggie's voice, 'that seems like a long time ago.'

'You were twelve years old,' Dustfinger smiled sadly. She had been so young, so pure, so afraid. Never would the image slip from his mind, of the little girl curling up in her father's arms in the old cowshed, terror written across her face as though carved there with a knife (as his own was).

'I was so scared,' she whispered, 'but now I'd do anything to be fighting him again.'

'Same,' Dustfinger smiled sadly, 'seems so much less unpleasant.' He suddenly pressed a finger to his lips and pulled her off the track into the undergrowth. Frozen in shock, she listened at the approaching hoof beats.

'We're dead,' a voice groaned, as the thundering approached ominously.

'Where did they _go_?' Another sounded incredulous.

'The Fire Dancer brought a bit o' death back wiv' 'im, right?' That one sounded arrogant and domineering, 'so he obviously vanished in 'fin air!'

Only when the sound died, did Dustfinger stand up and look around anxiously. 'We'd better go find the prince,' he sighed, helping Meggie up. She brushed herself off, exhaling loudly, 'well that was fun,' she said in a comically bright tone.

* * *

Dustfinger was sitting opposite a fire – no surprises there.

His heartbeat was very slow, his eyes slightly out of focus, as he whispered the fire words. He had been scared that he would have forgotten them, but they came back so easily after five years that he had _tried_ to let them go. He breathed them, until the flame formed the face of a woman. Her. His woman. Roxane.

'Why?' He looked deep into the fire, as though looking into her soul. 'Why did you have to leave? Why did _he_ have to choose _you_? It could have been Resa...Meggie...the bookworm – he had his choice of women loved ones...why did he pick you? _WHY_?' He felt the tears of rage rising to his eyes. It was the first time since the moment of death that he had really thought of it... and as it finally sank in, all sadness, all fear was wiped from his mind and replaced with pure anger.

'But now, I feel even worse,' he mumbled, taking his eyes off the flame, 'tell me, Roxane, just tell me why my heart beats faster every time I see her. Tell me why fire isn't my only vice anymore... tell me why I'm in love with someone else!' With a snarl of anger, he threw a rock next to him through the flame. Roxane's face flickered. 'COME ON! The fire can dance...it can take your appearance, it can _sing_! Why can't it talk?'

'I forgive you...' the face whispered, and Dustfinger stumbled back slightly. The fire shot towards him, and Roxane's lip almost touched themselves to his. He could feel the searing heat against his skin, but just as the flames brushed his lips, she dissolved and seemed to rush through him. He watched the sparks as they dropped onto the floor behind him. The scattered ashes of a flame that had died – the last he had of his black beauty.

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